CLICK
by gunman
Summary: John makes a different decision when faced with Santino at the Continental. Dark themes, character death. Chapter 4 edited.
1. Chapter 1

_**CLICK**_  
by Gunman

Disclaimer: I do not own John Wick or their characters.

Summary: John makes a different decision when faced with Santino at the Continental hotel.

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John Wick stared hard at the Italian man as he sat in the lounge of the Continental. John was bloodied, bruised, haggard and limping just a little. Gun in hand, he stared down the man who had used him and then betrayed him.

"Duck fat. Makes all the difference." Santino D'Antonio said as he sat at the private table.

"Jonathan..." Winston, the manager and owner of the Continental said to Wick.

"Have you seen the menu here? Lot of options." Santino said, somewhat smugly.

"Jonathan, listen to me..." Winston said again, trying to get John's attention.

"A man can stay here a long time and never eat the same meal twice." Santino said.

"Jonathan, just walk away." Winston said, more urgency in his voice.

"Yeah, Jonathan. Walk a..."

John slid the chamber back on the gun, the bullet ejecting without incident. He quickly turned the gun on Santino and pulled the trigger.

CLICK.

The few people in the lounge, including Winston and Santino, let out a breath.

"Do you know the last thing your sister said to me? She asked me... if I believed in damnation. You know what I said? I said 'yes'. Because I know, the second I die, I'll never see my beloved Helen again. I have no illusions about that." John said as he turned around and walked over to the bar.

The bartender looked at John, as if waiting for him to make his order.

"Bourbon. Neat." John said as he stood by the bar, his rage boiling over in his body.

Winston just looked at John as he stood beside him. He could see John's hands shaking.

"I have to admit, Jonathan, I actually thought you would shoot him. Here." Winston stated.

"I still want to." John said as the bartender brought him his drink.

"You know, of course, the repercussions of such an action." Winston said.

"I do." he said as he guzzled down his drink.

John then placed two gold coins down on the bar.

"What's that for?" Winston asked.

"Dinner reservation." he said.

At hearing those words, Winston tensed up, thinking that John was going to kill Santino anyway.

"John, you know better." Winston warned as the bartender refilled his drink.

"But I also know that I have no other way out." he said.

Winston looked at John, slightly puzzled.

"They'll never stop hunting me. He'll never cancel the price on my head. And I can't touch him without bringing hell down upon myself." John said as he downed his drink again. "I'll be hunted no matter where I go."

Winston kept silent.

"Tell Charon to take care of my dog." John said as he slid the bullet back into the chamber of his gun.

"John..." Winston said, getting nervous now.

"And tell Aurelio, he can have my car." John added as he gripped the handle of the gun.

Winston was not liking where this was going.

"Jonathan... don't." Winston said, now realizing what was about to happen.

He'd hoped he was wrong, but now...

"I'll never be free. Even in a nice refuge." he said as he looked up at the ceiling.

"There are other ways of handling this." Winston said. "To live, when others want you dead, is in itself, a great victory."

"I tried to live. I tried to quit. I tried to be happy. And now... I'm tired. I'm just so tired."

"Then take a rest, Jonathan." he suggested.

"An eternal rest."

"Don't do this." he said, knowing full well that a man of Focus, even in his waning moments, could not be swayed.

"I'm sorry about the carpet, Winston."

"Jonathan..."

The gun slid neatly underneath his chin, his eyes closed as he muttered three words.

"Helen... forgive me." he said, right before he pulled the trigger.

BANG!

His body fell to the ground, the gun still clutched tightly in his hand as the blood stained the fine, and recently cleaned, carpet.

Winston said nothing, and motioned for Santino to say nothing either.

He was not in the mood.

Winston hoped, he truly hoped, that John Wick, in some way, found peace. He knew it was a fools hope, considering Johns life, but maybe, just maybe, a merciful god would grant this poor man something.

Santino said nothing as he walked out of the hotel, a satisfied smile on his face.

Back inside the Continental, Winston pulled his phone out his phone and dialed a number. He looked to the bartender.

"Mr. Wick has a dinner reservation. Would you call it in?" he asked the bartender.

"Yes, sir." the female bartender said.

 _"Operator. How may I direct your call?"_ a female voice said.

"Accounts Payable." Winston replied.

 _"One moment, please."_

Winston waited a few seconds.

 _"Accounts payable. How may I help you?"_ a new female voice said.

"I'd like to open an account." Winston said.

 _"Name on the account?"_

"Santino D'Antonio."

 _"Verification?"_

"1-1-1-1-1."

 _"State of contract?"_

"Open."

 _"Location?"_

"New York City. All five boroughs."

 _"Denomination?"_

"5 million."

 _"Processing."_

Winston was still on the phone, as Charlie and two of his men arrived for John.

 _"Order confirmed."_ the operator said.

"Thank you." he said.

 _"Is there anything else to declare, sir?"_

"Yes. The account for John Wick has been closed." Winston stated.

 _"By whom?"_ the woman asked.

"The man himself. Dinner reservations are under way."

 _"Understood."_

Winston sighed as he hung up the phone.

"The usual, sir?" Charlie asked the manager of the Continental.

"No. I think, The Special, for our dear Jonathan." Winston said as he handed Charlie a third coin and looked at John's dead body "Rest in peace, my boy."

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Authors Notes:

Just a little something I came up with after watching John Wick Chapter 2 on DVD. Finally got to the end.

I just wonder, what would have happened, if John had decided not to kill Santino on Continental grounds.

Yes, John died, but Santino would be getting his in almost the same way. Hunted, like John was. With John dead the contract was cancelled, and thus a new contract was opened. Course, that only applies while Santino is in New York.


	2. Cassian Returns

**_CLICK_**  
by Gunman

Disclaimer: I do not own John Wick or its characters.

Summary: An alternate take on my last chapter.

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Chapter 2  
 **Alternate Ending**

John Wick stared hard at the Italian man as he sat in the lounge of the Continental. John was bloodied, bruised, haggard and limping just a little. Gun in hand, he stared down the man who had used him and then betrayed him.

"Duck fat. Makes all the difference." Santino D'Antonio said as he sat at the private table.

"Jonathan..." Winston, the manager and owner of the Continental said to Wick.

"Have you seen the menu here? Lot of options." Santino said, somewhat smugly.

"Jonathan, listen to me..." Winston said again, trying to get John's attention.

"A man can stay here a long time and never eat the same meal twice." Santino said.

"Jonathan, just walk away." Winston said, more urgency in his voice.

"Yeah, Jonathan. Walk a..."

John slid the chamber back on the gun, the bullet ejecting without incident. He quickly turned the gun on Santino and pulled the trigger.

CLICK.

The few people in the lounge, including Winston and Santino, let out a breath.

"Do you know the last thing your sister said to me? She asked me... if I believed in damnation. You know what I said? I said 'yes'. Because I know, the second I die, I'll never see my beloved Helen again. I have no illusions about that." John said as he turned around and walked over to the bar.

The bartender looked at John, as if waiting for him to make his order.

"Bourbon. Neat." John said as he stood by the bar, his rage boiling over in his body.

Winston just looked at John as he stood beside him. He could see John's hands shaking.

"I have to admit, Jonathan, I actually thought you would shoot him. Here." Winston stated.

"I still want to." John said as the bartender brought him his drink.

"You know, of course, the repercussions of such an action." Winston said.

"I do." he said as he guzzled down his drink.

John then placed two gold coins down on the bar.

"What's that for?" Winston asked.

"Dinner reservation." he said.

At hearing those words, Winston tensed up, thinking that John was going to kill Santino anyway.

"John, you know better." Winston warned as the bartender refilled his drink.

"But I also know that I have no other way out." he said.

Winston looked at John, slightly puzzled.

"They'll never stop hunting me. He'll never cancel the price on my head. And I can't touch him without bringing hell down upon myself." John said as he downed his drink again. "I'll be hunted no matter where I go."

Winston kept silent.

"Tell Charon to take care of my dog." John said as he slid the bullet back into the chamber of his gun.

"John..." Winston said, getting nervous now.

"And tell Aurelio, he can have my car." John added as he gripped the handle of the gun.

Winston was not liking where this was going.

"Jonathan... don't." Winston said, now realizing what was about to happen.

He'd hoped he was wrong, but now...

"I'll never be free. Even in a nice refuge." he said as he looked up at the ceiling.

"There are other ways of handling this." Winston said. "To live, when others want you dead, is in itself, a great victory."

"I tried to live. I tried to quit. I tried to be happy. And now... I'm tired. I'm just so tired."

"Then take a rest, Jonathan." he suggested.

"An eternal rest."

"Don't do this." he said, knowing full well that a man of Focus, even in his waning moments, could not be swayed.

"I'm sorry about the carpet, Winston."

"Jonathan..."

The gun slid neatly underneath his chin, his eyes closed as he muttered three words.

"Helen... forgive me." he said, right before he pulled the trigger.

BANG!

His body fell to the ground, the gun still clutched tightly in his hand as the blood stained the fine, and recently cleaned, carpet.

Winston said nothing, and motioned for Santino to say nothing either.

He was not in the mood.

Winston hoped, he truly hoped, that John Wick, in some way, found peace. He knew it was a fools hope, considering Johns life, but maybe, just maybe, a merciful god would grant this poor man something.

Santino said nothing as he walked out of the hotel, a satisfied smile on his face.

He was outside the Continental Hotel of New York, right on the street, and was about to hail a taxi to take him back to his own private residence, when he heard the unmistakable sound of hammer being cocked back.

CLICK!

Santino slowly turned around and half-expected to see John Wick standing before him.

He was instead shocked to see Cassian standing before him, gun in hand.

"I didn't expect to see you here, Cassian." Santino said.

"You know why I'm here." Cassian said.

"I thought... to kill John Wick."

"Wick killed your sister, my ward, Gianna, because of a marker. Held by you." he explained.

"Oh. So... you're here to avenge her?" Santino asked.

"I would have settled for Wick, but I heard he just offed himself." Cassian stated.

"Yes. Rather pathetic, if you ask me." he said as he looked at the dark-skinned man. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in a job?"

"For you?" Cassian asked, his face straight as ever.

"I have my sisters seat in Camorra. What is hers, is now mine. So... technically, you already work for me." Santino said with a smug smile.

"True. However, there's one little problem with that." Cassian said in a low tone.

"And that is?" the Italian crime boss asked.

"I don't like you."

BANG!

Santino gasped as the bullet hit him in the chest.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Santino's breath caught him in his throat, as blood filled his lungs. He fell to his knees and just stared up at Cassian, right before he fell forward and face-planted into the street.

Winston looked indifferently at Cassian, but there was a twinkle in his eye as he did.

"I thank you for not conducting your business on Continental grounds." Winston said to the former bodyguard.

"This was more on your doorstep." Cassian said as he walked over to Winston.

"Which technically ends at the sidewalk." Winston said.

Cassian shrugged his shoulders. Seems that it didn't make much difference to him. Now, anyway.

"Camorra will come for you now." Winston said as Cassian stood before him.

"Good. I could use the rest." he said as he put his hand into his pocket.

He handed Winston a gold coin and turned to walk away, leaving the Continental owner to sigh. He looked at the body lying in front of the Continental, and was relieved to see Charlie and his boys pulling up in their van. The older, and somewhat shorter, man stepped out of the van and looked at the owner of the Continental.

"I was told there was a dinner reservation here at the Continental?" Charlie asked.

"Yes. Two, in fact." Winston said as he handed man the coin that Cassian left him, and motioned towards the body in the street.

"Of course." Charlie said as he and his boys went to work.

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Authors Notes:

Hope everyone enjoyed this alternate take on this story. I've got more ideas. One of which, involves John surviving and killing Santino himself.

Please read and review.


	3. Wick Rising

_**CLICK**_  
by Gunman

Disclaimer: I do not own John Wick or its characters.

Summary: Another alternate telling of John Wick Chapter 2. This time, John gets his revenge.

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Chapter 3  
 **Wick Rising**

John Wick stared hard at the Italian man as he sat in the lounge of the Continental. John was bloodied, bruised, haggard and limping just a little. Gun in hand, he stared down the man who had used him and then betrayed him.

"Duck fat. Makes all the difference." Santino D'Antonio said as he sat at the private table.

"Jonathan..." Winston, the manager and owner of the Continental said to Wick.

"Have you seen the menu here? Lot of options." Santino said, somewhat smugly.

"Jonathan, listen to me..." Winston said again, trying to get John's attention.

"A man can stay here a long time and never eat the same meal twice." Santino said.

"Jonathan, just walk away." Winston said, more urgency in his voice.

"Yeah, Jonathan. Walk a..."

John slid the chamber back on the gun, the bullet ejecting without incident. He quickly turned the gun on Santino and pulled the trigger.

CLICK.

The few people in the lounge, including Winston and Santino, let out a breath.

"Do you know the last thing your sister said to me? She asked me... if I believed in damnation. You know what I said? I said 'yes'. Because I know, the second I die, I'll never see my beloved Helen again. I have no illusions about that." John said as he turned around, his gun lowered and walked over to the bar. He set his gun down on the bar and took several deep breaths to calm himself.

The bartender looked at John, as if waiting for him to make his order.

"Bourbon. Neat." John said as he barely kept himself standing still, his rage boiling over in his body.

Winston just looked at John as he stood beside him. He could see John's hands shaking.

"I have to admit, Jonathan, I actually thought you would shoot him. Here." Winston stated.

"I still want to." John said as the bartender brought him his drink.

"You know, of course, the repercussions of such an action." Winston said.

"I do." he said as he guzzled down his drink.

John then placed two gold coins down on the bar.

"What's that for?" Winston asked.

"Dinner reservation." he said.

At hearing those words, Winston tensed up, thinking that John was going to kill Santino anyway.

"John, you know better." Winston warned as the bartender refilled his drink.

"But I also know that I have no other way out." he replied.

Winston looked at John, slightly puzzled.

"They'll never stop hunting me. Santino will never call off the price on my head. And I can't touch him without bringing hell down upon myself." John said as he downed his drink again. "I'll be hunted no matter where I go."

Winston kept silent.

"Tell Charon to take care of my dog." John said as he slid the bullet back into the chamber of his gun.

"John..." Winston said, getting nervous now.

"And tell Aurelio, he can have my car." John added as he gripped the handle.

Winston was not liking where this was going.

"Jonathan... don't." Winston said, now realizing what was about to happen.

He'd hoped he was wrong, but now...

"I'll never be free, Winston. Even in a nice refuge like this." he said as he looked up at the ceiling.

"There are other ways of handling this." Winston said. "To live, when others want you dead, is in itself, a great victory."

"I tried to live. I tried to quit. I tried to be happy. But now... after everything that's already happened... I'm tired. I'm just so tired."

"Then take a rest, Jonathan." he suggested, meaning something else entirely.

"An eternal rest." John spoke softly.

"Don't do this." he said, knowing full well that a man of Focus, even in his waning moments, could not be swayed.

"I'm sorry about the carpet, Winston."

"Jonathan..."

The gun slid neatly underneath his chin, his eyes closed as he muttered three words.

"Helen... forgive me." he said, right before he pulled the trigger.

BANG!

His body fell to the ground, the gun still clutched tightly in his hand as the blood stained the fine, and recently cleaned, carpet.

Winston said nothing, and motioned for Santino to say nothing either.

He was not in the mood.

Winston hoped, he truly hoped, that John Wick, in some way, found peace. He knew it was a fools hope, considering Johns life, but maybe, just maybe, a merciful god would grant this poor man something.

Santino said nothing as he walked out of the hotel, a satisfied, and smug, smile on his face.

He was outside the Continental Hotel of New York, right on the street, and was about to hail a taxi to take him back to his own private residence, when he heard the unmistakable sound of guns hammer being cocked back.

CLICK!

Santino turned around and half-expected to see John Wick standing before him.

He was not disappointed.

"Well, well, well. It seems that even the Boogeyman... cannot die." Santino said, staring at the bleeding and disheveled John Wick standing between him, and the Continental.

"I'm half-way there." John said, gasping heavily, his jaw bleeding heavily as he struggled to hold his gun up.

Santino looked at the heavily bleeding man. John was already banged up from his fight against his own men, and the numerous assassins that had already tried to take him out. That last gunshot had torn through his flesh and nicked quite a bit of muscle, if his bleeding out was any indication. Maybe the bullet was still in his head, and John was just too stubborn to die.

Maybe it was something else. An Act of God, perhaps?

The possibility that his dead sister was exacting her revenge from beyond the grave, by preventing John from dying, never entered his head.

Santino didn't care about particulars, nor was he a believer, because right now he was staring down the barrel of a gun, aimed at his own head, held by a man of sheer will, commitment, and focus. However, that focus was starting to wane.

Santino might have a chance.

"You know... it's not very sporting to shoot a man... while he is unarmed." Santino said.

"You must be truly desperate if you're trying that shit with me." John said, his face looking like he was about to growl.

His eyes were starting to droop, his vision obviously getting blurry.

Santino reached for the knife in his back pocket.

"This ends... now." John said.

"Yes, John... I'm afraid it does." Santino said.

Santino gripped the handle of his knife and with a quick flip of his wrist, pulled the blade from his back pocket and hurled it at John.

John was a second too slow, the loss of blood and fatigue getting to him. He side-stepped to the right, allowing the knife to embed itself into his left shoulder. His hand clenched the gun in his hand, his finger summoning up all the strength he had left, and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The bullet flew from the chamber and within a second of exiting the barrel, had neatly lodged itself into the chest, and heart, of Santino D'Antonio.

Two bodies hit the ground, but only one still had life in it.

John didn't even notice four men rushing around him as he kept looking at the unmoving form of the Italian mob boss.

"Jonathan? Are you... alright?" Winston asked, his voice like a faint echo in John's ears. "Jonathan?!"

"Been... better." John said weakly.

"Yes, I'm sure." he said as he looked at the now deceased Santino. "Well, I thank you for killing Santino outside of Continental grounds, but... did you have to go through such extreme methods to get him out here?" he asked the assassin.

"Would he have believed anything else?" John groaned as he tried to sit up.

Winston could only nod at that.

"Get Mr. Wick inside, and call the doctor. I'll handle the... dinner arrangements." Winston said to his men as he pulled out his phone.

"Yes, sir." one of his men said as two of them hauled John up and escorted him back inside.

Winston had to admire the scene before him. He had warned Santino not to pursue this action. John had warned him. But he just didn't listen, and now look where it had gotten him.

This whole incident would only add to Johns already staggering reputation. Especially the part where he shot himself in the head.

He hoped that the Cleaning Service arrived soon. Santino was a rather unsightly image in front of the Continental.

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Authors Notes:

Well, here's my 'John Wick gets his revenge' chapter. Last one had Cassian killing Santino.

Hope everyone likes it.

I could say something about this, maybe something about the supernatural occurrences and possibility that ghosts and higher powers were at play here. Mostly that John survived the bullet to his own brain, and that he is tougher than most, which is true, or I could say that John was lucky and missed, or that it was all part of his plan, which is more truthful than most.

I could, but I digress. Any ideas, of course, are welcome.

Please, read and review.


	4. Camorra

_**CLICK**_  
by Gunman

Disclaimer: I do not own John Wick or its characters.

Summary: After killing Santino, John meets with the new leader of Camorra.

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Chapter 4  
 **Camorra**

It had been two days since John Wick had killed Santino D'Antonio outside The New York Continental.

Two days since he had survived nearly a dozen assassination attempts, and killed nearly a hundred men working for both Gianna and Santino over the last week. Both in Rome and New York.

He had fought long and hard, and in the end he succeeded. He added to his reputation even more, and was now in hiding.

Even if The Continental was a very nice hiding place, it was still a hiding place.

Santino had put a contract out on John, and John had effectively killed Santino, so... Camorra would be very upset at hearing that.

They probably knew already.

The Doctor had examined, cleaned up, and even stitched up John, trying to make sure that his self-inflicted injury, which was the only way he could kill Santino by getting him off of the Continental grounds, was nothing too noticeable.

But John didn't really care, and was still plagued with uncertainty.

He had killed Gianna D'Antonio, head of the Camorra branch of the High Table, someone he considered a friend. He had killed Santino D'Antonio, who had not only put a bounty on John's head for killing his own sister, but was the one who sent John to kill his sister in the first place. He owed him a marker, anyway. Now, Camorra would not let that stand. They would most likely honor the contract Santino had put on Wick for his sister, but would also want revenge for what he did to both of them.

He wondered what they would do, if they found out that it was Santino who sent him to kill Gianna?

Regardless, here he was, lying in his bed in the Continental, with his dog laying on the foot of his bed.

He still hadn't named him.

Winston was accommodating to John in many ways, but would he risk war with Camorra over him?

He would like to think that even The High Table would honor the neutrality of The Continental, but he couldn't use other people like that to save his own skin.

No. As soon as he was able, he would leave The Continental. And face his own problems. As he had in the past.

That was one of the things Winston and the others like about John. He didn't use other people just so he could get the job done.

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The doors to The Continental opened up and a finely dressed man entered with his entourage.

Four looked like bodyguards, wearing sunglasses and carrying luggage, one looked like a personal aide, wearing a business suit and glasses and carrying her own luggage, and another looked like a 'traveling companion' of sorts.

The group approached the concierge, where Charon was standing ever vigilant at his post.

"Welcome to the Continental. How may I help you?" Charon said.

"I'm looking for a man. John Wick." the middle-aged man in the fine pinstripe suit said. "Is he in?"

Charon straightened up more than he was. "Mr. Wick is currently indisposed."

"I see. Is the management in?" the man asked.

"The management is always in." Charon said.

"Would you please tell him that I wish to speak with him?" he asked.

"Of course." Charon said as he picked up the phone and pressed the button. "Sir? There is a Mr. Matteo here to see you."

Winston was quick to come into the main foyer of the Continental to personally greet the current high-ranking member of Camorra. As quick as a casual walk was for him. He saw no reason to be any later than his usual self permitted.

"Mr. Matteo." Winston said, shaking the mans hand.

"Winston. It has been a while." Matteo replied, a firm grip on the managers hand.

"It surely has. Long trip? If so, come, let me offer you a drink." Winston said.

"Thank you." Matteo said with a small bow.

Winston lead Matteo and his personal aide into his private office, where he poured a drink for the man. Matteo's guards waited outside along with his lovely traveling companion.

"Something for you, my dear?" Winston asked the aide.

"Just water, thank you." the young woman in the business suit, glasses and hair tied in a bun said.

Winston did his best to be a good host, and so accommodated his guests.

"So, tell me... what brings Camorra's highest seat here to my domain? Or do I even need to ask?" Winston asked as he sat across from Mr. Matteo.

"I was hoping to speak with Mr. Wick, concerning the matter of Gianna and Santino D'Antonio." Matteo said.

"I'm afraid Mr. Wick is currently indisposed. It's been a rather... busy week for him." Winston said.

"Yes, I know. Three days ago he killed Santino D'Antonio, outside of Continental grounds. Two days before that, he killed his sister, Gianna, in her private room in Rome. Now... I have heard several rumors regarding Mr. Wick, and I merely wish to confirm them." Matteo said.

"Oh? And what rumors are those?" Winston asked playfully.

"That he killed nearly three dozen of Gianna's guards, as well as nearly forty of Santino's own men. Not to mention several other people in New York who tried to claim the bounty on his head." Matteo said.

"As you say, a busy week." Winston said.

"There are questions that I wish to ask Mr. Wick personally. You understand." he said.

"I do. My concern is that you may or may not like the answer."

Matteo said nothing for several minutes as he smiled at the other man.

"I have no interest in going to war over a simple meeting, Winston." Matteo said.

"You have gone to war in the past, for much less." Winston argued.

"True. Much to my own... inconvenience." he agreed.

Winston said nothing as he let Matteo finish his drink.

"You have my word, Winston, I honor the neutrality of the Continental." Matteo said.

"That is good to know." Winston said. "I will speak with Jonathan, on your behalf, regarding this meeting you wish to have. When he is ready to talk. But that is up to him."

"I have nothing but time, Winston. Until then, I take it the hospitality of the Continental is still available to us?"

"Always." Winston said.

Matteo turned to his assistant. "Make the arrangements, will you?"

"Yes, sir." the woman said.

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It was two days later, and John was feeling better. Mostly in body. His mind and soul, however, were still in a state of turmoil.

John had been informed of his guests from Camorra. He could only guess at what they wanted. Though, a more pragmatic man would instantly know why.

He looked over to his side table and saw his phone.

It was a gift from Julius from the Continental of Rome. His phone had been destroyed, but the memory chip inside it was still functioning. Julius had been nice enough to get him a new phone. It was more than he deserved, really.

John dressed himself to be as presentable as possible. He knew this meeting was inevitable.

"Stay, boy." he said to his dog as he headed out of his room.

John headed down to the meeting room that Winston had arranged for his face-to-face with the new leader of Camorra.

Which is something that John found a little odd.

A member of the High Table, waiting until he was ready to meet with them. Something like that was completely unheard of.

Then again, it was The Continental, and certain 'protocols' had to be followed. Even the High Table respected that.

And then of course, there was John's reputation to consider.

John walked to the meeting room as best he could. He was feeling much better than he had been a week ago.

He stopped at the meet room, where two men in suits were standing guard.

"I'm here to see Mr. Matteo." John said to them.

The men nodded and opened the doors, allowing John to enter.

When he got inside, he saw that the setting was much more comfortable than expected. A long and low wooden and glass table in between two plush couches. At the head of the table was a single seat chair, which John suspected was for Winston as both host and informal third party.

John quickly noted that Winston, Mr. Matteo, his secretary, and one of Winstons aides were there as well.

"Jonathan. Thank you for coming." Winston said.

"This meeting was inevitable." John said.

"Oh course. Please, sit." Winston said as his aide brought John a glass of bourbon.

Mr. Matteo sat down across from John, with his aide next to him, her laptop out and on her knees. Winston sat in the single chair at the head of the table.

"Mr. Wick. I thank you for meeting with me." Matteo said to him.

"I apologize if I kept you waiting." John said to him.

"You have had a busy week." Matteo said. "Quite understandable really."

John said nothing, giving the man his undivided attention.

"I'll get right to the point, Mr. Wick. About a week and a half ago, you killed Gianna D'Antonio. Two days later, you killed her brother, Santino. Now... I have heard numerous rumors as to why, considering you were said to be retired. But I also want to hear... the why, from you. Please, entertain me."

John took a calming breath before telling him.

"About five years back, I gave Santino a marker, a favor in blood to be paid back, because he helped me out with a special job. A job that I needed to do in order to be retired." John explained.

"Mmm-hmm." Matteo nodded.

"Then one day he came back, and presented me with a job he wanted me to do. I refused. So he burnt down my house. It was after that, I reluctantly took the job he wanted of me." John said.

"To kill his sister." Matteo said.

"Yes. I did the job, reluctantly, and right after that, Santino tried to make it look like he was the good brother, and put a contact out on me."

"For seven million." Matteo mused. "A good price for you, Mr. Wick."

"Thank you. I had to go through a lot of people to get to here. Santino, however, chose to hide out here at the Continental like a coward. And in order to get him, I had to commit an extraordinary act, to get Santino off the grounds in order to end him myself."

"Yes. You shot yourself. Is that right?" he asked.

"In the head." John said.

"That must have been painful." Matteo said with a small smile.

"Made me pass out."

Matteo nodded in understanding.

"That confirms everything we were told." the female aide said to Matteo, who nodded to her.

"Where did you hear all this?" John asked.

"Cassian." Matteo said simply. "Though he was not the only one." he said, remembering how his men had found Ares in the museum on the verge of death.

"I see." John nodded. "How is he?"

"He was able to get that knife in his chest removed, without much blood loss." he said.

"Good to know."

"He was the one who told us about the Marker than you gave Santino. It is understandable that he would be upset, but as it stands, it also means that Santino was responsible for Gianna's death. And since you took care of that..."

"The High Table isn't concerned about me? About... retaliation?" John asked.

"Yours, or theirs?" Matteo asked.

John said nothing.

"Mr. Wick, let me be clear. There are some members of The High Table who would like nothing more than to... eliminate you, for the loss of one of their own. They don't like it that one of The High Table could be so easily dispatched. It makes them look weak. There are some, though, that wish to make you an offer to work for them. Given your skills, and reputation. However, I am aware that you wish to be retired. Is that right?"

"It is." he replied.

"Had Cassian not brought to us the details of Gianna's death, we would be more than willing to go to war with you. However, seeing as how you have eliminated the one responsible for her death, and given what has happened both in Rome and New York this past week... I see little reason to continue any sort of vendetta against you." he said to John. "Mostly because it is a waste of manpower."

John kept a straight face, even though Winston was smiling.

"As a gesture of good faith, I have already taken steps to make the bounty on your head disappear, Mr. Wick." he said.

John looked over to Winston, his aide talking to someone on her phone. The aide then whispered something to Winston, who looked back to John and nodded.

"I appreciate that." John said.

"I have also arranged for your house to be repaired. It should be ready in two weeks." Matteo added.

"Thank you, but... may I ask... why?" John asked the man. "You don't owe me anything, and if nothing else I have... inconvenienced you. Heavily."

"You have inconvenienced The High Table, Mr. Wick, not me. I can understand a blood debt to be repaid. I had one myself. Once. And as for your house being rebuilt, call it a payoff. A means of insuring that you... stay retired." he said to John.

John simply took to nod at what he meant. He was giving John something to ensure that he would not return to 'inconvenience' the High Table or Camorra again.

"I represent all of Camorra in this, Mr. Wick. I am well aware of your reputation, and I see no reason to bring... The Boogyman... down upon us."

Matteo turned to his assistant.

"We'll be leaving tomorrow. Make the arrangements." he said to her.

"Yes, sir." she said to him as he stood up.

"I will deal with Camorra and make sure they leave you alone, Mr. Wick. I will also encourage The High Table not to pursue this matter. So long as you stay retired."

Matteo and his assistant walked out of the room, with Winstons aide escorting them out to help with their departure for tomorrow, leaving John and Winston to themselves.

"He's being unusually generous to me." John said.

"Not really." Winston said. "He leads Camorra now. With Gianna and Santino dead, Matteo will absorb everything they had into his own circle. You've actually done him a service."

"That's why he's paying me off." John understood.

"Yes. Now, until your house has been rebuilt, feel free to stay here. And may I suggest something for dinner. You're looking thin." Winston smirked.

John didn't laugh, but smirked at the joke. He hadn't had anything much to eat in his recovery. And only Bourbon to quell the pain.

"Yeah. That sounds good." John agreed.

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Authors Notes: 

Just a little something to tie up the last chapter, where John killed Santino.

Not sure where else to go with this, but I've got some other ideas for more John Wick-related stories.


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